PKSF focuses on holistic development of the poor
Managing Director Abdul Karim tells theindependent
Sharif Ahmed
Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), an apex development agency established by the government, has recently been recognised as the national implementing entity (NIE) of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), established within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
PKSF is the 59th organisation in the world to get this recognition. It began its journey with microfinance services, but has eventually evolved into an agency that focuses on the holistic development of the poor and the disadvantaged by reshaping its strategy to enable sustainable poverty reduction.
The Independent recently interviewed PKSF managing director (MD) Md Abdul Karim to talk about the organisations journey, vision, activities and how it has evolved over time.
The Independent: What was the objective of PKSF when it began its work in Bangladesh?
Abdul Karim: Since its inception in 1990, PKSFs primary objective was to provide microfinance to moderately poor people to create employment as a means of sustainable poverty reduction. We started creating self-employment opportunities in the rural farm sector and adopted the strategy of promoting credit programmes for attaining this goal. However, our credit programme has diversified over time, with our microfinance services evolving into an inclusive financing programme.
The Independent: What are the financing programmes run by the PKSF at present?
Abdul Karim: The current financing programmes of PKSF cover the moderately poor of both urban and rural areas, ultra-poor, micro-entrepreneurs, marginal and small farmers, ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged groups that are usually left out of the conventional development programmes.
Members of these poor groups are offered customised services tailored to suit their needs. PKSF has integrated capacity-building, technology transfer, value chain development and other technical services in its development programmes for enabling the poor to come out of the low productivity trap.
The Independent: Enhan-cing Resources and Increasing Capabilities of Poor Households for the Elimination of their Poverty (ENRICH) has been a very successful programme of PKSF. What are the key features of ENRICH?
Abdul Karim: ENRICH is our flagship programme that focuses on the holistic development of poor people by enabling to achieve a dignified living standard and enjoy universal human rights. The people who join this programme are regarded as our partners, not beneficiaries, in the process of ridding the nation of poverty in a sustainable manner.
ENRICH facilitates the best utilisation of the existing capabilities and resources of poor households and expands their range of capabilities and resource base so that they can move ahead steadily. This integrated action programme includes the key components of education, skill training, technology, information, healthcare services, food security and nutrition, awareness-raising, facilitating access to assets, social capital formation, infrastructure, climate change adaptation, insurance services, market linkages and so on. This programme also provides appropriate levels of funding for the participants to implement their planned socio-economic and environmental protection-related activities.
For example, we conducted a survey showing that Tk. 1 lakh is required to rehabilitate a beggar. The survey also found that it would take a lot of motivation to convince a beggar to quit begging, but our success rate in this regard is 99 per cent. We strictly follow a need-based, bottom-up process in our interventions. First, we assess the need or demand of a beggar. If the person has land but not a house, a small house is constructed for her/him to live in and also livestock is provided as an income-generating source.
No cash is given directly to the beggar, but deposited in a bank account. The money is operated jointly by the grant recipient and an official of the PKSF Partner Organisation (PO).
The Independent: You have served the country as the highest-ranking public servant. How did you feel when you took up the office of the PKSF as its top boss?
Abdul Karim: Since I took office in 2013, I have been firmly following four principles to drive this institution forward. They are transparency, publicprivate partnership, development and rights, and administrative independence. I think this attitude, along with the hard work and sincerity of my colleagues, is the key reason behind PKSFs commendable rise over the past four years. As for my achievements, the best thing to have happened during my tenure is that PKSF has recently got recognition from the GCF as its NIE in Bangladesh. We have more projects now than ever before.
The Independent: What is the objective of a six-day Development Fair of PKSF which is going on at citys Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC)?
Abdul Karim: Our sole purpose is to connect with those people in the capital who with our support have defeated the extreme conditions and turned into micro-entrepreneurs. We also aim to give the city dwellers an opportunity to buy quality products like mats, karchupi-designed sarees, safe food products, handicrafts etc. It is a great platform for grassroots-level entrepreneurs to have a face-to-face interaction with customers. The fair will be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka and remain open for all from 10am to 8:30pm.
Moreover, five seminars on different development-related issues will be held and there will be cultural programmes every evening.
The Independent: Where do you see PKSF 10 years down the line?
Abdul Karim: PKSF is a not-for-profit institution directly under the control of the government. It would be great if it starts to offer financial and non-financial services on a much larger scale in future than it is doing at present.
